Who here reads books?

buck65

Heard an interview in relation to this article on Newstalk last evening

https://medium.com/@hughmcguire/why-can-t-we-read-anymore-503c38c131fe

like the writer I'm limiting my time on the net and the ole Telly and trying to read a couple of books a month.
Good summer reading so far, read 4 or 5 books in the past 2 months but I must admit it is an effort at times to shut out everything and get down to it.
I have logged out of facebook for a fortnight now and I'm glad as it is mainly rubbish, even good ole boards I have only checked in once or twice recently.

I recommend that we readers take the world back! who's with me?

(I'm aware of the irony of posting this online)

nullzero

I only read buttock clenchingly honest toilet books.

jpboard1

Any good recommendations?

Mesrine65

Always have two on the go, one for lunch-break at work & one beside the bed at home before I go to sleep.

Guy:Incognito

Boks? Wats dem?

GAAman

The kindle/ereader is honestly the greatest invention since printing for readers.

I was initially against them but having a library of books on something that size is fantastic.

Trent Houseboat

Have you read pubes?

(Doesn't work in written form)

Tombi!

GAAman wrote: »

The kindle/ereader is honestly the greatest invention since printing for readers.

I was initially against them but having a library of books on something that size is fantastic.

*cough*smartphone*cough*

nullzero

Trent Houseboat wrote: »

Have you read pubes?

(Doesn't work in written form)

What's brown and sticky does though

GAAman

Tombi! wrote: »

*cough*smartphone*cough*

Yep easily done, but the kindle (I mean the one solely for reading, not the fire) battery life is super as well. My phone being so smart, has a very stupid battery!

Shenshen

Yes. I honestly can't remember a time when I wasn't reading at least 2 or 3 books.
Fiction mostly, with interesting non-fiction sometimes. And of course comic books.

Tombi!

GAAman wrote: »

Yep easily done, but the kindle (I mean the one solely for reading, not the fire) battery life is super as well. My phone being so smart, has a very stupid battery!

Apparently it goes for a long time.
Much longer than a phone. Not sure if it could handle comics since they're different formats. Or videos. Can it take videos?

Akrasia

I don't have time to read books because I have 3 young kids, otherwise known as time vampires

But I do have an audible subscription so I get an audiobook each month to listen to while at work or driving or doing the dishes or whatever.

It's not perfect because it's easy to zone out and miss parts of the book, but there's always the rewind button

I find it way better for non fiction because when the narrators do voice acting it's almost always awful
(possible exception of the game of thrones narration, Roy Dotrice does a good job despite having to act out a gazillion different characters (world record actually)

GAAman

Tombi! wrote: »

Apparently it goes for a long time.
Much longer than a phone. Not sure if it could handle comics since they're different formats. Or videos. Can it take videos?

The fire would do both, wouldn't say the normal kindle would do books as you would need a cbr program to see the comics

HandsomeDan

Tombi! wrote: »

*cough*smartphone*cough*

*cough* lcd not comparable to e-paper. 2 month battery life *cough*

GLaDOS

Tombi! wrote: »

*cough*smartphone*cough*

Whatever about an e reader, I could never read a book on my phone, would drive me demented.

I still read paper books myself.

Akrasia

Tombi! wrote: »

Apparently it goes for a long time.
Much longer than a phone. Not sure if it could handle comics since they're different formats. Or videos. Can it take videos?

E-Ink is a passive screen technology, it doesn't require any energy to display an image, only to change it.

It can handle comics but they'll be in black and white but not video

Edit, actually, comics are a problem because of the format the files are usually in, it can be done but requires usually third party software

Tombi!

Really? I've been using my phone more to read books lately. Can't handle comics on it since the screen is a bit too small.
What's so difficult about readng books on it?

GLaDOS

Tombi! wrote: »

Really? I've been using my phone more to read books lately. Can't handle comics on it since the screen is a bit too small.
What's so difficult about readng books on it?

Harsher on the eyes and too small a screen for me.

osarusan

I read books - paper books.

The last one was Waiting for the Barbarians.

The current one is East of Eden.

Not sure about the next one but reading Steinbeck will almost certainly make me want to read more Steinbeck. Maybe Of Mice and Men.

Tombi!

ScienceNerd wrote: »

Harsher on the eyes and too small a screen for me.

I suppose it would depend on the size of the screen, etc. I don't mind some of them too much. But yeah, I could see how it would be difficult.

Dr Strange

Akrasia wrote: »

I don't have time to read books because I have 3 young kids, otherwise known as time vampires

But I do have an audible subscription so I get an audiobook each month to listen to while at work or driving or doing the dishes or whatever.

It's not perfect because it's easy to zone out and miss parts of the book, but there's always the rewind button

I find it way better for non fiction because when the narrators do voice acting it's almost always awful
(possible exception of the game of thrones narration, Roy Dotrice does a good job despite having to act out a gazillion different characters (world record actually)

Get back to your audio "books" thread: https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057461120

This is about READING books.

wp_rathead

I only listen to audiobooks on Vinyl

Cold War Kid

What ya readin' for.

Baggy Trousers

I read books. Mainly biographies.

Jinonatron

Love to read books. I was into the kindle for a while and it is great. However then I read a paper book again and it is infinitely superior in my opinion. And to people reading on phones/ipad/laptop. That's not real reading and drives me crazy.

Also like audiobooks. I usually listen to an audio book with my eyes closed. Right now I am in the middle of an audio book and a paper book.
Reading "Naokos Lächeln" by Haruki Murakami. (English title Norwegian Wood).

Audiobook is The Rats by James Herbert.

I cannot actually imagine not reading books. If you just spend all the time surfing the net you end up reading an awful lot of rubbish.

buck65

jpboard1 wrote: »

Any good recommendations?

Eyrie, Tim Winton
Continental Drift - Russell Banks

Skatedude

I have hundreds of books, mostly scifi and have been reading novels since i could read.
I ready about 30 hours a week at a guess.

Paper is best, but the kindle is very handy as i can read anywhere with it on my phone or tablet and the authors actually get some money from kindle where they dont get a penny from second hand book sales which most people buy.

Dirty Dingus McGee

I'm always reading a book.It gives me something to live for

libelula

I don't know how ye read more than one book at a time, I honestly don't. My poor brain would be mixing up plots and characters all over the place!

/thicko

Skatedude

Tombi! wrote: »

I suppose it would depend on the size of the screen, etc. I don't mind some of them too much. But yeah, I could see how it would be difficult.

the quality of the screen for reading is the most important thing when i'm buying a phone. Kindle set with white txt on black background makes it easier on the eyes and most phones have a fairly big screen nowadays, But my 7inch tablet is ideal as it's the same size as most books anyway and is easier on the eyes then print.

Tom Dunne

libelula wrote: »

I don't know how ye read more than one book at a time, I honestly don't. My poor brain would be mixing up plots and characters all over the place!

/thicko

Ha. I've five books on the go at the moment, and I can empathise, though not so much about characters. More about philosophers.

Four of the books are mind-numbingly intense, the other is John Grisham's "The Litigators". Helps me switch off. For some reason, I am making more progress with that book than the others.

I should make the move back to physical books eventually. Audiobooks have just taken over so much for me. But I have come across loads that I may have never seen before.

Probably the two best ones have been

Bird Box (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18498558-bird-box)

Boy Who Drew Monsters (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20518987-the-boy-who-drew-monsters)

geraardo

I read alot of horror books especially Stephen King short stories, i constantly read them have done for years. Starting to read Lovecraft at the moment.

Tried the Kindle and others but couldnt get over the light in my eyes at night so went back to my bedside lamp but the Kindles are great for on holiday for storing many books,so i wont say i would be against them.

But i do prefer books,love buying secondhand ones as well seeing what notes or messages people write on them.

Do graphic novels count as books?

Sleepy

Yup, I'd read most days.

Huntergonzo

I don't read as much as I'd like to but I generally try to read at least 3 times a week and I genuinely enjoy it when I do. The problem for me is I'm very impatient, when I have a book I really want to get to the crucial bits, so sometimes I'm not focused at all on the page I'm reading.

When I am reading though it's rarely if ever fiction, just can't read fiction, has to be a biography, a true story, a book on history, sport, astronomy etc etc

Shenshen

libelula wrote: »

I don't know how ye read more than one book at a time, I honestly don't. My poor brain would be mixing up plots and characters all over the place!

/thicko

I got into the habit as a small child. My mother decided that I was spending too much time indoors, so started kicking me out to get some exercise in the afternoons.
So I got library books and started hiding them in the garage, to read while I wasn't allowed into my room.

So I was always reading at least 2 books at any given time.

Shenshen

geraardo wrote: »

Do graphic novels count as books?

Yes, definitely.

To my mind, they are the epitomy of visual art - the written word and the illustrations in perfect harmony.

Ok, maybe that's a bit much, not every Superman comic would live up to that, but when I think of graphic novels like Maus, for example, or Sandman, or even Habibi - the medium of graphic novels gives those narratives an impact that I think could not be achieved by words alone.

Earthhorse

I dunno; graphic novels are graphic novels and books are books. They're different mediums. Not all graphic novels have words either.

Personally, I read both but they are different.

biko

jpboard1 wrote: »

Any good recommendations?

Very long AH book thread here
Literature forum here

sammyjo90

I always have a book on the go, can't do the reading 5 different books at the same time thing.
Literally just finished a book last night so need to pick up the sequel sooooooon!

Shenshen

Earthhorse wrote: »

I dunno; graphic novels are graphic novels and books are books. They're different mediums. Not all graphic novels have words either.

Personally, I read both but they are different.

Not all literature has words, take Hand Christian Morgenstern's Fish's Night Song

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The_Valeyard

I love a good book.

Earthhorse

Shenshen wrote: »

Not all literature has words, take Hand Christian Morgenstern's Fish's Night Song

It may be literature, but it's not a book.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Yes, always two books on the go. Factual popular science or history during the day and a fiction thriller type at bed time.
We are avid readers in our house and leave the public library loaded down with books every week. The kids and grandkids have followed in our footsteps.

I get through 2 - 3 books a week, fiction and non-fiction. I'm not into graphic novels, but I do see the artistry and creativity in them. I have a kindle fetish, but buy the physical thing if it's something I'm collecting or if it's a classic. Phones or tablets don't compare with the Kindle in terms of experience, it's much easier on the eye and the screen beats a phone. You're also not distracted by notifications.

Best book I've read lately is Sometimes a Great Notion, by Ken Kesey (who wrote One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest). T'was great, highly recommend it.

The_Valeyard

Cant stand Kindle. It has to be a real paper book, actual fecking pages to turn, none of your digital crap for me thanks!! I know its handy go going abroad and all, but I just much refer a real physical book to hold and read.

osarusan

Candie wrote: »

Best book I've read lately is Sometimes a Great Notion, by Ken Kesey (who wrote One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest). T'was great, highly recommend it.

It's brilliant. Just brilliant. (Look at him there saying it's brilliant. What does he know about books?) Some great characters and really evocative language. (Evocative language? Nonsense). I loved it.

The_Valeyard

The_Valeyard wrote: »

Cant stand Kindle. It has to be a real paper book, actual fecking pages to turn, none of your digital crap for me thanks!! I know its handy go going abroad and all, but I just much refer a real physical book to hold and read.

I dunno, I like reading in bed and holding a lighted ereader with one hand beats the pants off holding what might be a big paper tome in two hands, with a bedside reading light on as well. It's just such a convenient device. I always read a lot, but since the advent of the Kindle I read twice as much. It's also a wonderful thing for a person who's had to move several times, the books come with me but not in box after box!

osarusan wrote: »

It's brilliant. Just brilliant. (Look at him there saying it's brilliant. What does he know about books?) Some great characters and really evocative language. (Evocative language? Nonsense). I loved it.

It was brilliant, was recommended to me by another board person who's future recommendations will be taken very seriously!

Ave Sodalis

I love books! Always have. I started reading when I was a couple months old and I haven't really stopped since. I can't stand Kindles though or anything like that. It's physical books or nothing.

Tombi!

sup_dude wrote: »

I started reading when I was a couple months old

Ye wha?